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Easter Fleche 2014
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you too TBW.
Everything and everybody worked well well I must say. No mechanical problems or no rider issues either. Route and timings were spot on and it was mostly down to our leader.
Who or what did you have to do for this amazing weather I don't know but it was worth it
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That was us (Hook Headers). 260k done at that stage and facing into another 125k. The car passing and stopping up the road with driver jumping out onto the road turned out to be a nice surprise with a shout of encouragement in the early hours when we were feeling the chill. Nice to meet you Buzwaldo even if just for 1 second...Just spotted a team of five heading through Kilkenny at 3am. Fair speed to Mullingar.
Enjoy the snooze. I'm only awake now after heading to bed at 15.00 yesterday...NamelessPhil wrote: »I'll write more when I've slept. Good luck to any teams still out there and well done to all others that finished.
*Bows* (I put in a word with my colleagues in the forecast office...Who or what did you have to do for this amazing weather I don't know but it was worth it0 -
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Out of bed at 06.30 for a 10 start after staying up late doing final bike prep. This bodes well...
Got down to Kinnegad in company with Dan and spent about 20 min driving around looking for free parking. Unloaded and set up bike. Took it for a short spin and decided the saddle was too low. Upped it a bit, still too low. Upped it a bit more, probably a bit too much as I ended up with a painfull knee some 50k later and dropped it back a touch at Athy which sorted that out.
Met up with the rest of the crew: Dan, Dave, John, TJ and me. We set out at 10 on the button under clear skies with not a drop of suncream between the 5 of us. Luckily we were in long legs and sleeves so it's just a matter of helmet-strap tan-lines.
The 60k to our second control in Athy were just a matter of setting a steady pace and settling in to the ride. Dave was sporting a set of 650c x 42 tyres @ 40psi on his Surly Soma on the basis of some studies claiming that fat, soft tyres are faster. They certainly seemed so, Dave spent a good amount of time in front leading the way. Lovely to watch the circular reflections on the road of sunlight off his gleaming chrome rims and guards.
I was getting something of a sore knee during this stage and decided that I'd raised the saddle too much at the start so I lowered it halfway at Athy. This seemed to clear up that matter.
On through Carlow to Thomastown. We got some quiet country roads but spent a lot of time on main roads which were not too busy (with the M9 nearby). By the control at Thomastown we were about 30 min ahead of schedule until a broken spoke as we set off caused an unscheduled stop. Since it was one of mine on my previously crashed and rebuilt Aksium which had snapped one or two weakened spokes since, I was well ready. Spare spoke in bag. Bike over, wheel off, tyre, tube and rimtape off, new spoke in, wheel trued, dressed, reinflated, mounted and off in 12 min!...
Stopped for some hot food in Mullinavat. Original plan was the Rising Sun restaurant but forgot it would be closed on good friday so it was the local chipper instead. Lovely clean chipper, even with toilet! Lovely chips too sitting in the sun outside the Post office across the road.
On through Waterford, racing the cars down the dual carriageway into the city. Out along Merchant's Quay and south for Dunmore East. Who's idea was it to put mountains by the seaside? Coffee and icecream cones above the harbour gazing across at Hook Head with 175k done at around 19.00. Just on schedule now, Dave had injured his knee but seemed happy to go on.
On from Dunmore East to Tramore through the sand-dune drumlins into the face of the setting sun (we had added a few layers above the harbour). A quick pause at Tramore to don the overshoes, two-layer gloves and extra nighttime jacket. Lights all working nicely. Once dark, temperatures dropped off fairly quickly. Stars appeared, dry roads, not too busy, settling into that closed in zen state of me/bike/pool of light on the road; lovely...
Next control at Portlaw, 22.00. Looking for a friendly bush, found a nice dark green with appropriate tree. No sooner had I headed over there than most of the population of Portlaw drove by with full headlights on!...
Heading on for Kilkenny now with the prospect of a hot sit down dinner. We found one long, long hill heading for Kilmaganny and no sign of a descent at the top. We had a quick visit from a friendly dog at that point as we rested briefly outside her gate. A quick sniff at all of us before she stood watching and waiting for us to leave... Found the descent shortly after, 2k free descending into Kilmaganny. This is when you find out if your lights are up to the job. Rolled on into Kilkenny on quiet roads with a red moon just cresting the horizon. Temperatures had stabilised at this point, I think there may have been a bit of thin cloud holding the heat in.
Into the Springhill Court hotel at 00.45 for hot pasta, chicken and tomato sauce, tea and coffee. We then lay down under the tables for about an hour of rest. Up at 02.30, more coffee, dressed again; fresh socks with foot warmers between the inner and outer socks, hand warmers in the gloves. Wearing pretty much everything I'd carried earlier.
Rolling out under clear skies in the moonlight it was feckin' chilly now, glad of every layer. Down through the sleeping town, only the odd car out. At one point some lad made some kind of gesture at us out of his car. Ignored that and carried on. Next thing the car heads past us and pulls in at the next roundabout and the driver hops out.
"Are ye heading to Mullingar?"
"We are."
"How far have ye come?"
"270k."
"Well done, GOOD LUCK!" *waves*
"Who was that?"
"Dunno"
"How'd he know where we were going?"
"Must be the jerseys"
Buzwaldo apparently. And so, buoyed by that unexpected encounter, we rolled on into the night...
As we rode, it seems that Dave's knee had settled down and we rode on for Portloaise via Ballyragget, Durrow and Abbeyleix. Trucks. There were trucks. Do those drivers never sleep?...
The promised 24-hour petrol station at Portlaoise came up closed and so we feasted on bananas, fig rolls and a swig out of a water bottle. The ice in Dave's water bottle had melted by now (no, it wasn't that cold, there were ice-cubes in the hotel jugs when we filled up at Kilkenny). The dawn had come over that time. Very quickly it seemed. Maybe only 15 minutes from darkness to being able to see without lights.
As we rode on towards Tullamore ("We have to be there by 7.30 lads"), the sun came up and the chill started to dissipate. Took the N80 which was ok though a bit too populated with cars. Good hard shoulder mostly though so it wasn't too bad. Good surface too. Made Tullamore for 7.30 and we have to control at Kilbeggan at 8.00 (you have to control at hour 22 at least 25k from the finish). Stopped for a spell at Tullamore to regroup and search around for the remaining energy stores.
Set off again and controlled on the roadside at 8.00 about 3k from Tullamore.
Got to Kilbeggan at 08.25, had the promised tea and rolled again at 08.35. 24k to go and 1h25 to do it in. Took some back roads towards Mullingar until we hit the N52 with about 15k to go at 9.35. "Right lads, keep it over 25kph and that should see us home before 10."
A 15k hammerfest is just what we wanted at the end of 380k! But we did it. You would have thought we would collapse by the roadside but we all rose to the challenge. Thundering down (and up) the N52, soaring through roundabouts and leaping lightly over the inevitable speed ramps into Mullingar town.
Rolled to a halt outside Reyno's cafe to the cheers of Mrs TJ with kids and the rather more muted applause of the already assembled (and knackered) already finished teams.
A well earned and particularly gorgeous breakfast before the crawl home to bed.
383k in 23h55 at an average 20.5kph with 18h44 rolling...
Thanks to Dan (our glorious leader), John (our indefatigable navigator), Dave, TJ and myself (our long-spinning powerhouses) and to Mrs TJ for most welcome cheering, organising the Kilkenny stopover and ferrying weary riders back to Kinnegad...
tl:dr
We set out from Kinnegad to cycle the 20k to Mullingar but got lost and ended up covering 383k. We'll know better the next time...
http://www.sports-tracker.com/0 -
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Heuston station for 9.am. With the clear blue skies and a convivial atmosphere amongst the weekend train travellers, Team Moonlighters met up and exchanged a few excited pleasantries. We basked in the morning sun for a few extra minutes (just in case it was short lived ) while double checking all the necessaries. With all in order, Marcello, Brian and myself snaked our way westwards through the morning traffic, out towards the N81.
A badly timed front wheel puncture forced a quick detour to the Cycle Superstore - wasn't taking any chances and changed the tyre too. The city limits faded behind us as we headed out through Saggart and Rathcoole towards Kilcullen. Really, the weather couldn't have been more agreeable for a bike ride. Clear skies and only the faintest of breezes at our backs, the undulating fields punctuated by the whir of serviced drive chains, Marcello regaling us with International brevet anecdotes. We settled in to a rhythm that would remain steady for the rest of the ride.
Athy was the first control at 70k and a smorgasbord of carbs from Superquinn was scarfed by the banks of the Barrow. Trying to keep them as wholesome as possible, I found a packet of cakes with only 5 ingredients. Sweet. We pressed on towards Carlow town when the left pedal started playing up with my shoe cleat. I gave it three crank rotations - if it didn't click there was sweet spot that would take the load with no fuss. Grand. My first time around those parts and scenery was lovely in the afternoon sun. We cut across to Gowran, Thomastown and over a nice little hill and down into Carrick on Suir where we stopped for dinner and control receipts, 168km covered.
Suitably stuffed with pizza and what not, we tooled up and kitted ourselves out for the night. The ride took on a different dynamic as we rode closer together, our beams forming a symmetry of shapes in the dark hard shoulder of the N24 to Clonmel. Pressing on into Tipperary town we stopped again, this time more to break up the monotony of the cool night than anything. Chips and onion rings, the warm calories and friendly staff were well received. On towards Limerick for our third control at 260km.
The service stations and late night boy racers of Limerick behind us, we headed for Birr and the traffic became noticeably quieter. We took the opportunity to relax and have a bit of fun riding wide across the road - a bit like heading home after a fancy dress party I guess. Then, a break for a quick snooze and some other essentials, the remainder of the Superquinn cakes were scoffed with considerable enthusiasm. We rolled on through the night, lights trailing, shapes on the ground looming only to disappear just as quick, the hallucinatory effect of sleep deprivation was milder than expected, but combined with tired legs and cold feet a degree of crankiness had set in.
We arrived in Birr at 340 odd km as the sun came up, gradually warming up our extremities. On into Tullamore and the sensation of riding along with the rhythm of the earths rotation around the sun was far out to my frazzled brain. 365 km at Tullamore and Marcello bade us farewell to catch a ride home. Brian and myself pressed on into Mullingar, the morning sunshine restoring a degree of normality, my knees growing tender from the fixie. We arrived to a warm welcome from fellow riders ( howyia cdaly_ - didnt realise it was yourself !) and club members, between 410 and 420 km completed. A large breakfast and then the train back to Dublin - tired, bewildered, sunburnt and happy.
Thanks to the organisers and well done to everyone who took part !
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